In the most relatable robbery story, I think I’ve ever heard in my life, one man has been deemed a fashion hero when he refused to give up his designer handbag to an armed robber.
Jerad Kluting from Holland, Michigan was walking home on his usual route when he was held up at gunpoint by a robber who “demanded he hand over his $1,700″ Louis Vuitton bag. Kluting refused to hand it over and told the robber–”you’re not getting my Louis Vuitton. I worked very hard for this bag, I’ve had it forever and it means a lot to me.”
The man then fired two gunshots next to Kluting to intimidate him, but he still refused to hand over his bag. The gunman tried reloading his gun to fire two more.
Kluting said:
“That’s when I turned and ran north. He pursued me that time and he fired two more shots. On the fourth one his gun jammed and he had to reload it.”
He thought that at any moment, the gunman would fire at him–but, when he turned around, the gunman was running away and fleeing the scene. Later, cops found the robber and arrested him.
At the end of it all, Kluting said it “wasn’t about the bag” but about standing up to a bully.
That bag has even more meaning to me now, but it was about not backing down. It was the difference between right and wrong. In that moment, I made a split-second decision.
People were calling Kluting a “hero” for standing up for himself against a threat this serious, but Kluting said he’s no hero.
“Gun violence is a national issue. The kids and parents of Santa Fe and Parkland are heroes. There’s been so much about gun violence in this country. I am not a hero. The real heroes are people and families that have been affected by gun violence, who are getting up and having to deal with tragedy.”
“It’s time we took a stand against it. I’m still processing everything and what my direct views are about what happened to me, but gun violence as a whole is a national issue.”
Amen. We’re glad that you and Louis are safe!
h/t BuzzFeed.